Move over Teva and Crocs. There's a new rubber sport sandal on the scene, Bokos, created by twenty-something Plymouth brothers Matt and James McManus.
The young entrepreneurs launched Bokos this year from their parents' home, and they're already gaining traction in the sandal industry with more than 1,000 pairs sold, primarily online.
The cross-strap, one-piece rubber sandals have two big selling points, according to Bokos founder, Matt McManus: they're durable, and they're affordable at $16 a pair.
"You can get them hot, wet, cold, dirty, and they're never going to break, they're never going to tear," said Matt McManus.
The sandal idea was born from a pair of shoes James McManus returned with after spending time in China. The shoes got compliments from friends and family, and the brothers realized you couldn't get a durable sandal like that in the American marketplace without spending a lot more money.
Thanks to some media mentions and blog posts, two Wisconsin retailers have now started selling the Bokos brand, and the McManus brothers hope to get their product into the hands of even more retailers when they bring their sandal line to Orlando next month for a surfing trade show.
The brothers have also found the sandals appeal to a broad demographic: men and women, young and old.
"So many different customer groups see it, and say, 'I could wear that for gardening, and I could wear that for after working out,' so that's what we've been really excited to see," said Matt McManus.
While James McManus is currently working and living in China, Matt McManus still has a marketing day job, but the dream is to grow the business into a full-time occupation.
"I think we've got a chance to build a pretty solid brand," said McManus.
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